Hugo's Awakening: A Mind-Bending Roadtrip Thriller

Hugo lost his wife in the blazing hot Australian outback. The trauma blacked his memories; they're trickling back. His spirits lift after a mysterious call from Jessie invites him to a reunion. As he closes in, he sees the mind-bending catch ... ★★★★★If Stephen King went to the outback he might have invented Hugo. A multi-layered and darkly funny short read – Kingsley, Amazon US. ★★★★★ Rich with authentic detail, the characters of Hugo and Jessie are fleshed out slowly but deeply ... Disturbing but oddly sympathetic characters ... Fascinated by the visions and the dream-reality mix – Mark Droic, Amazon Australia. ★★★★★ The story seems to turn with every page making for an immensely enjoyable quick read. I just didn't see any of that coming - a tell-tale sign of a titillating thriller - Alexis, Amazon US. ★★★★★ … a darkly comic landscape both of the Australian outback town where Hugo pitches up for redemption and that of Hugo’s troubled mind as it is slowly untangled to reveal what he has become ... past and present collide in the hallucinating heat of this humorous but macabre Aussie desert noir – Rob F, Amazon Australia. ★★★★★ The writing is crisp and vivid, really getting into your head. There are plenty of twists and mind-blowing moments. A great read from start to finish – Mark Hollands, Amazon Australia. ★★★★ Hugo!!! There are tantalising glimpses of the guy he must have been, but perhaps he was always a master at hiding his inner self - A Deans, Amazon US. ★★★★★….a highly entertaining macabre thriller, it's a dark journey through a vividly rendered Australian outback … paints a sweaty, fly blown, dusty world of longing, abandonment and desolation where it's easy to lose your bearings, never quite knowing what may be reality, hoax, or a psychotic fantasy - Phaedon Vass, Amazon US. ★★★★ A gripping and totally chilling psychological thriller. Thoroughly enjoyed it – Amazon US customer. ★★★★ … it leads us to an understanding of the disturbing circumstances that led to the separation of Hugo from his wife Jessie and the life he had dreamed of when he moved to the country … We meet his psychiatrist Dr Hyde and as his supressed memories surface, witness his unexpected transformation – L.S. Clifton, Amazon UK. ★★★★★ Even where you are given hints to what Hugo has been up to, you can never be sure that you have got it right. I wanted, and needed, to read on … - Mike C, Amazon UK customer. **** A call from Jessie lures Hugo to the desolate Tangleton Hotel. He risks his life to get there. She said she'd come at nightfall. Where has Jessie been? What does she want? There’s only one way to find out … Strap in for the ride in this masterful psycho thriller – electrifying plot twists, magnetic characters and surreal dark humor. … Hugo waits and drinks and sweats on the front veranda of the hotel. He suspects the mutilated barman may have had an affair with Jessie. Memories trickle into his skull, assisted by visits from the one-legged local farmer Tommy Gunn, and the legendary axeman Jack “Smacker” Jones. Hugo reads a note in his pocket with a quote by Sigmund Freud about “Repression”. The heat intensifies and night closes in; Hugo glimpses more and more of the man he was. But who is he now, and where is he heading? He had hopes for a happy life, and children with Jessie on a nearby farm called Jonesland. He recalls a cave where he found a “cursed bone” which was pointed by local aboriginal people. Did the bone make him do the things he starts to remember, or was it his own nature and free will? When Jessie drives past at nightfall without stopping, Hugo gives chase. It leads him to a stunning awakening, reunion and transformation.

About the Author

Mark Furness is an award-nominated writer of thrillers, mysteries and black comic crime.Mark is a former journalist and foreign correspondent who lived and worked in the US, the UK, Australia, and East Asia. He's also been a corporate spin doctor and political lobbyist. He claims his latest work - the Under Eden mini-series - is pure fiction. The good characters are based on real people.The black hats are purely fictional. Truly. The British Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger competition long-listed his international conspiracy thriller, with the working title FBEyes, in which journalists - led by Under Eden's protagonist Gar Hart and his colleague, Claire Styler - uncover corruption at the high-tech frontier of the global arms industry. The Debut Dagger recognizes outstanding work in progress. FBEyes is planned for publication in 2019. Mark is an Australian who is based in Sydney, Australia.Discover more books - including thrillers and short stories - at Mark's Amazon Author Central page.

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